Indigenous Holiday Market Brings Arts Community Together
I.A.M. (Indigenous Artists Market Collective) presents, "A Very Indigenous Holiday Market"! (Photo by Lance Cardinal)
On November 30th - December 1st, 2019, there was holiday magic in the air! I.A.M. (Indigenous Artists Market Collective) hosted their annual holiday event, "A Very Indigenous Holiday Market", at the Alberta Avenue Community center in Edmonton, Alberta. And believe me, this was not your average craft sale.
Rhonda Johnson, designer and entrepreneur with Acahkos Designs had a table of her unique prints, some of which were seen during the Indigenous designer fashion show. (Photo by Lance Cardinal)
This event brought together all forms of indigenous artists to celebrate culture and encourage community. And there was definitely love in the air.
Shoppers try on the many unique handmade items available! (Photo by Lance Cardinal)
All types of participants came to the event, including fashion designers, artists, singers, dancers, producers, speakers and much more. The workmanship and skills seen at the market are second to none!
Some of the incredible bead-work seen at the vendor tables! (Photo by Lance Cardinal)
It was no surprise that the crowds came out in droves! When the doors opened on Saturday morning it was wall to wall guests, all there supporting indigenous artisans. It was very heartwarming to see!
So much support for our Indigenous Artisans! (Photo by Lance Cardinal)
Some of the many vendors at the market! (Photo by Lance Cardinal)
The event was Emceed by Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse who provided ongoing commentary and kept the flow of the two day event fun and positive. (Photo by Lance Cardinal)
There was a very strong sense of community in the air and everyone who was there felt it. The vibe was like a summer pow wow, with laughter, dance, visiting and yes even Indian tacos! it was a chance to reconnect with old friends, make a new business connections and even witness some top-notch entertainment.
Emcee Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse swoons over Jay Gilday as he prepares to perform for the crowd! (Photo by Lance Cardinal)
Pow Wow youth dancers bring vibrant colour and authentic culture to the event! (Photo by Lance Cardinal)
Multi talented artists/singers/dancers/motivators Bill LeBlanc (Rellik) and Curt Young pose for the camera. Just two of the incredible artists who performed during the weekend! (Photo by Lance Cardinal)
This was my first indigenous Market of any kind and it was inspiring! I brought some of my handcrafted powwow marionette puppets to sell.
Here I am posing with my puppets! (Photo by Judith Ann Gale)
I LOVED giving demonstrations and sharing my passion! It was so nice to meet people who follow my career and I even made some new business connections! I'm so honoured to have been a part of the weekend and I finally feel like I am a part of the indigenous artisans community.
The drumming filled the room with the heartbeat of Mother Earth! (Photo by Lance Cardinal)
But more than that it felt like we were all part of a shift. Edmontonians were showing us that Indigenous events are valuable and that our artisans are seen as more than just crafters on the corner. There were some big name artists and high end products available for even the most exclusive art collector!
(Photo by Lance Cardinal)
This event was empowering, healing and inspiring. I could feel the energy of the Creator watching over us all. I even met a man who was wearing a beaded moose-hide jacket that my Grandmother had made for him over 30 years ago!
This is a coat created by my late grandmother in 1982…I have not seen this before, and just happen to meet him at the market. Thank you Creator! (Photo by Shaunteya English Eaglechild)
This was a message for me, a message for us all. We need to trust that our ancestor’s spirits will bring us to the light, show us we are on the right path, and bless our journeys. This was a good day, a good day for the Indigenous community of Edmonton and great day for the healing journey of our people. Thank you I.A.M collective and all this who people came out to support us.
Perfomers/Activists Ahksistowaki Medicine Crane and Shaunteya English Eaglechild closed the event with song, dance, prayer and love. (Photo by Lance Cardinal)